Celebrate Toast Box’s 18th anniversary with the newly opened Toast Box Coffee House on Seng Poh Road! Situated in the former premises of the cherished Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh, this marks their 76th outlet in Singapore.
Since its establishment in October 2005, Toast Box has been a beloved household name when it comes to kopi and toast. While you’ll still find familiar offerings such as Curry Chicken with Rice, Laksa, Peanut Thick Toast and more at this new Coffee House, they’ve introduced a range of new, outlet-exclusive items to their menu too. You’ll also be pleased to know that First Street Teochew Fish Soup is setting up their third outlet within the same eatery!
If you don’t know what to start with on their expansive menu, go the simple route with their Egg Sandwich ($4++), featuring a creamy, soft-scrambled omelette━reminiscent of the scrambled egg burger that I adore at McDonald’s━sandwiched between soft and fluffy house-baked bread.
For toast enthusiasts, Toast Box has come up with new iterations of traditional favourites. Go for the citrusy Lemon Cream Toast ($2.60++): a refreshing pick-me-up that’s perfect for any time of the day.
BSSM fans can go for their Black Sesame Toast ($2.60++) instead.
There’s also French Toast ($4++), which comprises a thicker, fluffy, egg-dipped toast that’s fried to a golden-brown finish and served with maple-flavoured syrup.
If you love a hearty breakfast, top up $4++ to complete your toast sets with a medium-sized beverage and two soft-boiled eggs.
Moving on to the mains, a nostalgic favourite is Old School Hainanese Pork Chop Rice ($9.80++), starring breaded pork loin pieces generously drenched in a sweet and tangy, tomato-based sauce.
Another familiar dish is Kampung Fried Rice ($6.20++), a flavourful rendition of the rice dish that’s fried with chicken, garlic and shallots, then topped with anchovies and peanuts.
For a noodle option, consider ordering Claypot Hokkien Prawn Mee ($7.80++), a filling dish that’s not unlike that at the popular Kim Keat Hokkien Mee.
The noodles were thoroughly cooked in a flavourful prawn broth and had a touch of smoky wok hei. For added spice, house-made sambal belacan is provided.
While the hokkien mee is an outlet-exclusive item, other Toast Box signatures that you can expect at Toast Box Coffee House include their crowd-favourite laksa and curry chicken. Unlike everywhere else, though, they’re served in a claypot like the hokkien mee so your Claypot Laksa ($6.80++) and Claypot Curry Chicken with Rice ($7++) stay hot for longer!
Complete your meal with a medium-sized beverage for an additional $2++. Go for the Grass Jelly series, each priced at $3.50++, and pair your grass jelly with Coffee, Teh, or Soy Milk. Alternatively, for those who like the delightful pop of sago, be sure to try out the Sago Coffee or Sago Teh, both priced at $3.20++.
Image credit: @wynise
If you’re a fan of fish soup, First Street Teochew Fish Soup offers a selection of fresh fish served with meticulously prepared, clean-tasting soups.
A must-try is their Chinese Pomfret Fish Soup ($16.90++), which includes thinly sliced, tender fish in a flavourful broth that has been simmered for four to five hours, crafted from fish bones, fresh pork, and chicken bones.
The freshness of their fish can be attributed to their use of wild-caught fish that’s delivered to them daily.
Pair the fish with their house-made Taucheo Chilli, a sauce made with fermented soya bean, light soya sauce, chopped chilli, and garlic.
If you’re into Teochew porridge or pao fan, you’ll love their Seafood Porridge ($8.90++) and Minced Pork Porridge ($7.90++).
Their seafood porridge features a collagen-rich broth brimming with seafood, including slices of Batang fish, small prawns, fresh squid, and fish cake slices.
My personal favourite was the Chinese Pomfret in Teochew-style ($28.90++) that’s ideal for sharing. This dish stars premium Chinese Pomfret, minced meat, Chinese mushrooms, ginger, tomato, tofu, and sour plum.
The Chinese Pomfret is hand-sliced to 0.6 to 0.8cm, a specific thickness which renders it even more tender, with a satisfying melt-in-the-mouth texture.
If you have a sweet tooth like me and can’t resist the allure of desserts, try their classic offerings, such as Kueh Dadar ($4.20++), which includes three pieces of pandan rolled crepes, filled with sweet coconut shavings that are drizzled with gula melaka. Another great choice is Kueh Sago Gula Melaka ($2.80++), featuring three bite-sized, fragrant, and chewy rice cakes with gula melaka, all coated in grated coconut.
If you have a penchant for old-school bakes, there’s Roasted Black Sesame Cake ($2.80++), Roasted Peanut Cake ($2.80++) and many more options for you to choose from too.
Otherwise, go for the timeless Traditional Caramel Pudding ($2.50++), a rich and creamy custard-like dessert.
Designed to look like coffee shops of the past, Toast Box Coffee House was built to recreate the kopitiam experience where locals would gather and chitchat. The ambience is thoughtfully curated, with rustic and wood furnishings, as well as tables with marble-like tops. You can choose to chill inside or dine al fresco on the sidewalk, equipped with wall fans to battle the heat.
At a corner of the Coffee House, you’ll find a retail area with an assortment of Toast Box merchandise. The area exudes a retro vibe, with rattan baskets and an old vintage cash register. The walls, adorned with green wallpaper, are reminiscent of the green-tinted glass windows that were once a common sight in old Singapore.
If you’re looking for gifts for your friends and family, you’ll be happy to find a wide selection of items, including Toast Box coffee tins, sauce sets, coffee accessories, 2-in-1 Sachet Kopi Sets, Hainanese Kaya, various sauces, and cooking pastes.
Don’t miss out on their coffee bean counter, where you can choose from six types of coffee beans, roasted in-house. There are two Nanyang Kopi blends and four specially curated single-origin coffees. For a personalised touch, you can pick any of these to be ground and packaged in a 250g metal tin, making it a perfect gift idea.
Getting to Toast Box Coffee House couldn’t be more convenient, with easy access from three different MRT stations. It’s an eight-minute walk from Havelock MRT Station, an 11-minute jaunt from Tiong Bahru MRT Station, and a 16-minute stroll from Outram Park MRT Station.
For another old-school kopitiam experience, check out Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe, a concept by the boss of popular seafood zi char restaurant Yang Ming Seafood. Otherwise, read about Fete Kopi & Toast, a more contemporary cafe which has fusion mentaiko and yuzu butter toast.
Address: 58 Seng Poh Road, Singapore 160058
Opening hours: Daily 7:30am to 9:30pm
Tel: 6223 0633
Website
Toast Box Coffee House is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Melvin Mak.
This was a media tasting at Toast Box Coffee House.
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